An Interesting interpretation of the original hit song…
EVSC Students Honored as ‘Commended Students’ by National Merit Scholarship Program
Four EVSC seniors have been named a “Commended Student†by the National Merit Scholarship Program due to their exceptional academic promise. The following students in the EVSC have received the honor and were recognized as being among the top five percent of students in the nation:
• Caleb Kerr, North High School
• Ellen Kendall, North High School
• Shelly Stumpf, Reitz High School
• Jacob Weinzapfel, Reitz High School
High school students across the country receive the Commended Student distinction based upon scores from the 2008 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT)
Although Commended Students do not continue in the competition for National Merit Scholarships, some of these students do become candidates for special scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses.
2011 GRADD Arts & Crafts Festival
October 1-2, 2011
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
John James Audubon State Park
US Highway 41
Henderson, Kentucky
Artisan & Craftsman Booths * Artist Demonstrations * Delicious Food
Live Music * Burgoo Cook-Off * Hayrides * Children’s Activities * 5K Run
*150 spaces available
* Art/craft booths: $100 per 15’x15’ area
* Concession spaces: $150 per 15’x15’ area
*Registration accepted on a first come, first served basis until all spaces are filled
*Fee must accompany registration
*Make checks payable to: GRADD, 3860 US Hwy 60 West, Owensboro KY 42301
*NO commission taken on sales
*Upon receipt of registration, GRADD will forward additional information
*All cancellations made after August 31, 2011 will NOT be refunded
*Only HAND-CRAFTED items may be displayed and sold (no mass-produced items)
IS IT TRUE? September 30, 2011
IS IT TRUE? September 30, 2011
IS IT TRUE that some of the so called “big banks†are planning to once again inventing ways to keep their status as the “LAND OF THE FEE†intact?…that the banking industry is now starting to target debit card users as a source of FEES?…that the giant yet beleaguered Bank of America is reportedly hatching a scheme to start charging its millions of retail customers a $5 monthly FEE to use their debit cards?…that justification they and other banks are using for this coming practice is the loss of their appropriately named “SWIPE FEES†that the government restricted recently?…that when most of us were young the word SWIPE had a very different meaning and thus we deem “SWIPE FEES†to be a completely appropriate term?…that the usual line up of big banks such as J.P Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo are test marketing the new FEE?…that the only local player on the list is Birmingham based Regions Bank which will be starting to charge a $4 per month FEE tomorrow for “select†accounts?…that someday soon this new scheme will find its way to Evansville with a little jingle based on the song “LET FEEDOM RINGâ€?
IS IT TRUE that as the FEES pile up and the cost of being a part of mainstream America increases that more and more people will be joining the unseen and uncounted part of our country that is sometimes known as the “underground economyâ€?…that such people and they are LEGION work for cash, draw public benefits, do no business with banks, barter for goods and services, and head to the emergency room for free health care when they are sick?…that the arguments in congress regarding companies and piles of cash leaving the United States because for the first time in our history other countries are being seen as better places to pursue dreams?…that all of this NIBBLING with nuisance FEES by both the private sector and government is driving the American economy into a situation where the “UNDERGROUND ECONOMY†is a viable alternative for mainstream American citizens?…that if this bull is not ended that many banks, government agencies, and other legitimate entities will be faced with the same kinds of decisions that the US Post Office is facing now for their failures to respond to email, online transactions, and the changing state of a competitive employment situation?
IS IT TRUE that the so called and proposed “SECOND STIMULUS†mandates that all materials used in these projects must have 100% American made materials with one exception?…that the exception is if the materials cause the cost to be over 25% higher?…that it is perfectly acceptable under this proposal to spend $124.99 Million on a $100 Million project but the government will draw the line at $125 Million?…that this is completely counter to the goals of fixing as much infrastructure as possible with the money?…that somewhere in America in a couple of year that a bridge will collapse because our government ran out of money from spending 24.9% more than was needed on other projects?…that when we buy and sell from other people that they do the same with us?…that we encourage the voluntary actions of citizens to buy American in the FREE MARKETS but realize that government mandated programs to do that only increase prices right to the edge of the law and cap our ability to do repairs?
IS IT TRUE that even local governments such as the City of Evansville sometimes do things that make us look like Bellflower, CA where city council members were being paid like Hedge Fund Interns?…that City Councilman Dan McGinn testified on Monday night that the City of Evansville is paying $95 per hour for PARALEGAL SERVICES?…that this works out to $197,600 per year at full usage?…that is double the salary of the Mayor of Evansville?…that no two department heads combined are being paid this much?…that even Mr. Tom Barnett whose salary caused quite a ruckus this year is grossly underpaid when compared to a contract PARALEGAL?…that City Council Finance Chairman JOHN FRIEND needs to get to the bottom of this and conduct another one of his FRIENDQUISITIONS so that this expense can be brought into line with even what PARALEGALS make in New York City or Chicago?…that the median salary for a PARALEGAL in Evansville, is below $50,000?…that this position should be a city employee and not a permanent consultant?
Another Press Release about the Homestead Tax Credit from Mayor Weinzapfel that is not on the City Website
On July 14, 2009 the Office of Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel issued another press release regarding the Homestead Tax Credit that is not available on the City of Evansville webpage where Mayoral press releases are archived.
In this particular press release Mayor Weinzapfel calls upon the Department of Local Government Finance to reinstate the Homestead Tax Credit to the full 8% level that just weeks before he had announced had been eliminated by inaction. The Mayor goes over the steps that have to be taken to reinstate this credit while reiterating his assertion that a bi-partisan of City and County officials made the decision to let the credit expire in 2008.
Just a day before the City of Evansville website includes a press release announcing a new downtown arena and a deal with Browning Investments to build a new downtown convention hotel.
The City County Observer would like to take this opportunity to respectfully request that all press releases that have been issued by the Mayor’s Office be included chronologically. This information when released is the property of the people of Evansville and should be part of the archives for the people to search at will. Failing to include ALL press releases whether intentional or by carelessness circumvents the purpose for keeping archival records. It is poor public policy to pick and choose the press releases from the Mayor’s Office for inclusion into the public archives. It is also poor stewardship of the archives of Evansville.
As a last act of transparency we call upon Mayor Weinzapfel to establish a complete publicly accessible archive of the press releases issued by his office while he has been in office. To do so would be a first step to establish that his administration has been as transparent and open as his press release of this morning claims he has been.
Link to press release asking for reinstatement:
http://media.courierpress.com/media/static/Restoration_of_2009_credit
The text of the press release announcing the arena and hotel is below:
CITY OF EVANSVILLE
ONE N.W. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. BLVD.
EVANSVILLE, INDIANA 47708
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
JONATHAN WEINZAPFEL
July 13, 2009 Contact: Audra Levy
For Immediate Release (812) 436-4962
alevy@evansvillegis.com
Downtown Arena and New Hotel Announced
(EVANSVILLE, IN)- Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel is pleased to announce an economic development agreement in principal which will locate the new downtown arena on a portion of the Executive Inn property and a municipal parking lot at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr., Boulevard and Locust Street. Adjacent to the arena will be a new 250-room hotel developed by Browning Investments.
“A new arena and a new hotel will provide a tremendous boost to our entire City. Not only will these facilities speed up our revitalization efforts and attract new economic development, but they will create hundreds of new jobs for area residents,†said Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel. “We have found a great partner in Browning. We welcome their investment in Evansville and the future of our community.â€
Browning Investments has an agreement in principal with Mutual Hospitality, Inc., which has owned the Executive Inn since January. Browning will raze the portion of the Executive Inn property that occupies the site of the future arena including the 6th Street hotel tower, the pool area and the atrium. Demolition work will begin in mid-August 2009.
The boundaries of the arena area will be Main, Walnut and Sixth Streets and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. The arena’s “front door†will be on Main Street, which will encourage further development of retail, dining, entertainment, and residential opportunities along the Main Street corridor. The arena, which is estimated to cost approximately $95 million to build, is scheduled to open in the fall of 2011.
“The orientation of the arena toward Main Street made possible by this configuration is even better than the recommended site at Fifth and Walnut streets. The arena will be a perfect complement to The Centre, greatly increasing our ability to host conventions and other large
Mayor Weinzapfel Responds to Davis’s Allegation of Removing Posts from the City’s Website
Today Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel responded to the claim made by Rick Davis that he had removed a critical press release regarding the secret meeting to allow Homestead Tax Credit to lapse. The Mayor claims that that press release along with six others of a positive nature that were issued in the month of June in 2009 were never posted for reasons that he is uncertain of.
The City County Observer after learning of the press release that was released on June 18th of 2009 last Friday did some research on it. Our first search of the City of Evansville website revealed that there was a gap of about two months that included the entire month of June of 2009 where no press releases were available. We have previously reported that this did not constitute any reason to allege that any website sanitizing had been done by the Mayor and left open the possibility that the press releases were for some reason never posted in the first place.
On Monday the CCO filed a Freedom of Information Act request with Mayor Weinzapfel’s office to request all of his press releases from June 2009. The Mayor’s staff responded quickly that they would comply by October 3, 2011. We assume they will do so.
The only public record of the now infamous press release is on a June 18, 2009 article published by the Courier and Press that is available on their website.
Link to Mayor Weinzapfel’s Statement
Health care lawsuit petition filed in U.S. Supreme Court
Indiana one of 26 states to challenge “unprecedented†individual mandate
INDIANAPOLIS – Today 26 states including Indiana asked the United States Supreme Court to consider their legal challenge to the federal health care law.
By filing a cert petition, the states formally ask the nation’s highest court to decide whether it is constitutional for Congress to mandate private individuals to buy health insurance or face a financial penalty – and if not, whether the entire health care law must be invalidated.
“From the outset it has been our goal to bring this case to the United States Supreme Court, and today we ask the court to hear the question of whether Congress can mandate an individual to make a private purchase or suffer a fine. It was both appropriate and necessary for the states to challenge whether Congress and the President have this unprecedented claim of authority within their enumerated powers under the Constitution,†Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller said.
The plaintiffs now include Indiana, Florida, 24 other states, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and two private individuals. Originally filed in March 2010, the suit alleges the new federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional. A federal district court in Pensacola, Florida, agreed and on January 31 struck down the entire law as unconstitutional. The federal government appealed the lower court decision, but on August 12 the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta ruled partially in favor of the states, holding that the individual mandate portion of the federal law is unconstitutional, though allowing other parts of the law to stand.
Because the 11th Circuit did not rule for the states on all counts, the states today have formally requested United States Supreme Court intervention, formally called filing a petition for writ of certiorari. The 26 states are represented by former United States Solicitor General Paul Clement, who filed the 38-page brief asking the Supreme Court to hear the case during its new term that starts next week. It will be up to the Supreme Court justices to decide whether to hear the states’ lawsuit or decline and allow the lower court ruling to stand. If the high court agrees to hear the case, there could be additional briefing and oral argument, likely culminating in a decision sometime next year.
“There is no question that we need reform of the health care system in this country. But this reform must pass constitutional muster; and the sweeping individual mandate must be put to the test before we open the door to Congress requiring people to buy other commercial products against their will. One of my duties as Attorney General is to defend the state from injurious federal encroachment and defend against infringing upon the rights of individuals. Joining this respectful legal challenge with the other states at no additional cost to Indiana taxpayers was the proper way to assert the state’s authority,†Zoeller added.
Zoeller has not spent additional tax dollars on the multistate challenge beyond his office’s regular budget the Legislature previously approved. Indiana has not paid legal fees to join the lawsuit or appeal and has not paid anything for outside legal counsel. Other states have borne the costs.
In February 2010, at U.S. Senator Richard Lugar’s request, Zoeller and Indiana Solicitor General Thomas Fisher prepared a 55-page report and analysis of the federal health care legislation still before Congress at the time. The issues the Attorney General’s report cited concerning the individual mandate and the federal requirement on state governments to dramatically expand their Medicaid programs helped the plaintiff states prepare some of the legal arguments that the group later filed in their legal challenge in the Florida federal court.
In addition to Indiana and Florida, the plaintiff states bringing the multi-state challenge include South Carolina, Nebraska, Texas, Utah, Louisiana, Alabama, Colorado, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington, Idaho, South Dakota, Mississippi, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Alaska, North Dakota, Ohio, Kansas, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Maine and Iowa. The U.S. Department of Justice represents the federal government defendants.
Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis
Click Here to download the Jingle Bell Run/Walk Flyer
Text:
HealthSouth Deaconess
Rehabilitation Hospital
October 21, 2011
11:30 am—1:00 pm
You are cordially invited to join the 2011 Jingle Bell
Committee at our Jingle in July Kickoff Celebration.
Enjoy lunch, meet our honorees and the premiere of the
2011 JBR video. You will receive information about this
year’s event, fundraising tips, and opportunities for your
company to get involved.
Bring others from your company and get ready to
kick off your company’s JBR campaign.
Maria Morris JBR Chair
RSVP to
Maria Morris at 812-437-6131 or
maria.morris@healthsouth.com by
Friday, October 14th
Red Cross asks for the Help Stuffing Totes for Local Veterans
(Evansville) – The American Red Cross is proud to once again launch the Totes of Hope, a program designed to engage the community to help give back to low-income and homeless veterans in time for Veterans Day in the Evansville Metro area.
Created and launched in 2008, Totes of Hope program distributed over 800 care packages including basic toiletry items as a way to say more than just thank you for their service to our country for Veteran’s Day. “Services to our Armed Forces and Veterans is a vital component of Red Cross Services and when we heard many of our local veterans were lower income or homeless and need of vital supplies to survive, we knew this was a community problem we wanted to help combat,†said Matt Bertram, Regional CEO, American Red Cross.
Totes of Hope aims to engage the community to help collect supplies over the next three weeks. All donated supplies will then be stuffed in a Red Cross totes and delivered to local veterans on Friday, November 18th at both the Evansville VA Clinic and Vet Center. The public is encouraged to help stuff a tote and offer hope to a local veteran by donating any of the following supplies:
 Baby Wipes
 Hand Sanitizer
 Shampoo/Conditioner
 Bar of Soap
 Soap Caddy
 Deodorant
 Razors & Shaving Cream
 Toothbrush
 Toothbrush Caddy
 Toothpaste & Dental Floss
 Pocket Pack Facial Tissues
 Plastic Combs & Brushes
 Socks  Shower Shoes or Flip Flops
 Stocking Caps/Ear Muffs
 Gloves
 Small Umbrellas
 Phone cards
 Crossword Puzzles
 Sudoku Books
 Books or Magazines
 Deck of Cards
 Pocket Calendars
 Prescription Caddy
 Bus Tokens
 Canned Goods/Openers
“We hope people will think about items they need to survive including toiletries, personal items, cold weather items and more and help us ensure our local veterans have these items as the winter months approach†Bertram added. “If every person in our community would donate one item, we could meet our goal of stuffing 800 totes and help say more than just thank you to our local heroes in time for Veteran’s Day.â€
Donations of the above listed supplies can be dropped off at several area locations through Friday, November 4h:
• American Red Cross 29 S. Stockwell Road Evansville, IN
• Old Navy Store – Eastland Mall 800 N. Green River Road Evansville, IN
• Expressway Auto Dealerships Evansville & Mt. Vernon, IN
For more information about the Totes of Hope Program or to make a monetary contribution to support American Red Cross Services to Our Armed Forces programs including the Totes of Hope Program, visit our website www.evansvilleredcross.org or www.tristateredcross.org. Links to supply lists are also being posted through social media websites including Facebook & twitter.
Downtown Today: 9/29/2011
Time 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Subject SHERIFF SALE
Location 301
The meeting actually starts at 10:00.
Categories ROOM 301
Time 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Subject BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs every Thursday effective 9/1/2011 until 9/29/2011 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Sharon Evans @ 4982
Categories ROOM 301
Time 1:30 PM – 4:00 PM
Subject BROWNFIELD CORPORATION
Location 318
Reminder 15 minutes
Categories ROOM 318